The Woman That Inspires Me

We can always find time for the things we want most.
Selma Dunn-Williams

I have fond memories of sitting for hours with my Great Aunt Selma. She told us wonderful stories of what it was like when she was a child. Decades later, I can only look back and wish I had used a tape recorder and took notes of all the tales she shared with us.

Yesterday, my sister shared with me a newspaper article that was written in the Atlanta Journal on January 31, 1937. It was titled Georgia Woman Builds Her Own Home.

Women can do remarkable things. I've met women builders. They are great. They are also rare. I have worked construction jobs for decades, and have only met one woman builder.

What does it take for a woman to be a builder these days? Study for a few years and get licensed as a general contractor. Not so hard.

I look at the newspaper article. It has no mention of studying and licensing that someone has to do these days to build a home. But, I am truly in awe by the time I finished the article. To explain why, let me just show you the quote from under the picture. 

Mrs. Selma Dunn Hughes, who drew the plans, sawed the lumber, drove the nails, laid the bricks and did everything else about her six-room house.

Okay. The women that are builders these days don't do that. Not, even the men that are builders do that. They hire and oversee the different trades as they come to work on the house. They don't actually do the physical labor involved in the process.

That's wonderful that a woman, in her spare time, built her own house. Wouldn't you love to have the time to do that? According to the article, it took her 8 months to build the home.

So, my Aunt Selma wanted a house. She drew the plans, saved the money, and physically built the house. That alone would inspire me to look at my life and  evaluate if I am doing what I truly want to do.

But, the article doesn't stop there. At the time, my aunt was widowed. She had one income. Hers. She worked full time at the mill. She had two young daughters at the time. She lived with her Dad and brothers at the time. So she also had the responsibility to fix their meals and take care of the house. (Because, at the time, that is what women did, men didn't)

So, when did she have time to build a house? The article covered that also. Her day started at 4:30. She did her chores, and cooked breakfast for the family. By the time the sun rose, she usually had her chores done. That's when she worked on the house while caring for her daughters. She worked until 12:30. She made lunch for everyone and then got ready for work. She worked 2 -10.

I have learned so much about my Aunt with reading this article. I am honored to be related to her. She has inspired me to look at my schedule and find time to do what I really want to do.